Automatic screen for windows.



R. H. POWERS.

AUTOMATIC SCREEN FOB WINDOWS.-

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24., Man.

1,263,285. Patented Apr. 16, 1918.

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w Z I i l9 RHFEIWEPE.

R. H. POWERS.

AUTOMATIC SCREEN FOR WINDOWS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24. 1917.

1,263,285. Patented Apr. 16,1918.

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attozue RALPH HENRY POWERS, OF PORT HURON, MICHIGAN.

AUTOMATIC SCREEN FOB WINDOWS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 16, 1918.

Application filed May 24, 1917. Serial No. 170,718.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH H. POWERS, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Port Huron, in the county of Saint Clair and State ofMichigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inAutomatic Screens for Windows, of which the following is aspecification.

The present invention relates to wmdow screens and has for an object toprovide a screen for attachment to the top or bottom or both of awindow, and to be engaged w1th the one or more sashes therein forscreening the opening through the window when the sash is moved intoopen position.

Another object is to provlde a screen of the roller type which is.spring actuatedto withdraw the screen into a casing or the like out ofthe way when not in use, and toexpose only a portion of the screensuflicient to block the opening in the window to the passage of insects,flies and the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for guiding andretainlng the adjustable screen' in close fitting engagement with thewindow at all ad uStments of the screen with the sash, which retainingmeans is adjustable to accommodate windows'varying within practicallimits in width so that the automatic screen of this invention may beapplied to practically all types of windows now in common use.

The above, and other objects and advantages of this invention will be inpart described, and in part understood, from the following detaileddescription of the present preferred embodiment, thesame beingllustrated in the accompanying drawmgs, wherein:

Figure 1 is an outer side elevation of a window having automatic screensconstructed according to the present invention applied to the top andbottom thereof.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, enlarged, vertical section taken through thelower portion of a window having the automatic screen applied thereto.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of Fig. 6 is adetail enlargedtransverse sectlon taken through the screen sections, show-1ng"the'spring therein for re-winding the screen, when the latter isrelaxed by the placing of the sash.

Fig. 7 is a detail enlarged view of the screen roller, showing a mean vfor fastening the inner edge of the screen to the roller.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary enlarged section taken vertically through thelower portion ofa window casing and a sash in closed position, showingthe screen casing and the screen In posltion.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view of a section of the flexible screen andframe therefor, showing a modification in the structure thereof.

Fig. 10 is a horizontal section through the same and through a modifiedform of guide therefor.

Flg. 11 is a detail perspective view of one. of the guide rails for thescreen.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary plan view of the lower end of the modified formof screen, enlarged, showing the flaring mouth of the guiding groove inthe screen-frame.

Fig. 13 is a transverse section through the lower portion of a windowcasing, showmg a modified construction and mounting of the screencasing.

Fig. 14 is a detail perspective view of a section of the modified formof screen, showing the hinged joint between the sections thereof.

.Referringto these drawings, wherein like parts are designated bysimilar characters of rcference'throughout the several views, 10designates acasingwhich may be formed from sheet metal and which issecured at its base portion upon the inner sillstrip A of the window,andwhich is preferably flush at its'outer closed side with the outer edgeof the strip A. The casing 10 is providedwith' a longitudinallyextending o'pening in'iits" top adjacent to its outer side through whichthe flexible screen of the invention is adapted to extend.

. The casin l0' is provided therein with a longitudinal y extendingroller 11 about which the screen is adapted to be rolled, the latterbeing secured to the roller 11 by the provision of an attaching strip12, as shown in Fig. 7, which clamps the inner edge of the wire meshingportion of the screen longL tudinally against one side of the roller 11.

The wire mesh portion 13 of the screen is reinforced and held inposition at its opposite edges by the provision of a flexible frame, thesame comprising series of hingedly connected blocks 14 transverselyregistering and adapted to be rolled upon the roller 11.

The outer free end of the wire mesh body 13 is provided with anattaching strip 15 having a series of transversely elongated slots 16adapted for insertion over turn-' buttons 17 which are placed upon thelower bar of the sash B of the window. The roller 11 is normally urgedin turn in a direction to wind the flexible screen thereabout by meansof a spiral spring 18 located in one end of the casing 10. One end ofthe spring 18 is secured by rivets or the like to the roller 11, and theopposite end of the spring 18 is secured to the casing 10. When the sashB is raised, the flexible screen is drawn out of the casing and unwoundfrom the roller 11 to an extent suflicient to close the opening betweenthe casing 10 and the adjacent bar of the sash B.

The flexible frame of the screen is held in close contact with theopposite sides of the window by the provision of a pair of guiderails19, the same being of channel form and having the grooves thereof facinginwardly opposite one another, and being of, a size to freely receivethe block 14 of the flexible frame therein. The guide rails 19are-provided with laterally extending flanges 20 throughout the lengthof the rails 19 adapted to bear against the inwardly ex tending flangesof angle-irons 21 which are secured, by screws or the like, against theinner opposite sides of the window casing. The said flanges of .theangle-irons 21 project inwardly toward each other and are adapted to lieagainst the guide ralls of the sash B when the latter are in position.The flanges2O of the guide rails 19 and the abutting flanges of theangle-irons 21 are provided with transversely extending elongated slotsadapted to receive retaining bolts 22 therethrough which are preferablycountersunk in the inner faces of the angleirons 21 and provided upontheir outer ends with wing nuts 23 or the like for binding the guiderails 19 in adjusted position upon the angle-irons 21 when the guiderails 19 are moved taut and from each other into the desired adjustedposition. By thus adjustably mounting the guide rails 19, the latter maybe accommodated to screens varying in width and to windows of varioussizes. The guide rails 19 thus hold the lateral. edges of the flexiblescreen from bulging outwardly from the window casing, and seal .thespaces between the flexible screen and the casing.

It is of course understood that the automatic roller screen thus far maybe applied to the top of the window casing and attached to the top barof the upper sash thereof, as shown in F ig. 1, so that the flexiblescreen is drawn downwardly when the upper sash is moved into openposition. In this instance, the guide rails 19 are arranged about theouter side of the window casing to hold the flexible screen from bulging outwardly, and for sealing the spaces at the opposite edges of thescreen.

In the modification disclosed in Figs. 9, 10, 11, 12, and 14, the sidebars of the frame of the flexible window screen are com posed ofpivotally connected blocks l4: having in their outer sides, a verticallyextending groove 21which, as shown in Fig. 12, flares at the lower endof the lowermost block 14 to provide an entering throat 25. The blocks141 are adapted to fit between the flanges 26 and 27 of opposed guiderails which are mounted upon the angle-irons 21 secured to the inneropposite sides of the window casing. It will be noted from Fig. 10 thatin each instance, the outstanding flanges 28 of the guide rails lap overagainst the inner sides of the angleirons 21, and that the flanges 26are adapted to lie close against the opposed and lower bars of thewindow sash.

The wire mesh body of the modified form of screen is preferably made upof a plurality of transversely extending sections 29, one section foreach opposite pair of blocks 14. The sections 29 are not adapted to flexabout the roller when wound and as shown in Fig. 14, are hingedlyconnected together by links 30 which lie closely together and completethe wire mesh body portion of the screen. These links 30 admit of therolling of the screen body about the roller and are bent or hinged inthe transverse plane of the hinged connection of the block 14.

In Fig. 13, the window casing is provided with space-apart strips 31 and32 and an inner facing strip 33, the strips and the sides of the windowcasing forming an inclosure or boxing adapted to receive the casing 10of the roller screen. The top strip 31 is provided with an aperturethrough which the flexible screen is adapted to ex tend, the screenbeing attached to the sash of the window in the manner above described.

It is of-course understood that various other changes and modificationsmay .be made in the details of construction and design of the abovespecifically described embodiment of the invention without ,departingfrom the spirit thereof and being restricted only by the scope of thefollowing claims. 1

I claim 1. Tu a screen adapted for application to windows having slidingpasses therein, a normally retracted flexible screen body adaped to bemounted at one end of the said guide rails being provided with out'- Istanding flanges adapted to overlap the flanges of said support, andmeansfor adjustably clamping said overlapping flanges together toaccommodate the guide rails Within window casings varying in width.

2. In a window screen, the combination of a casing, a roller mounted insaid casing, a spring carried in said casing and engaging the roller tourge the same to turn in one direction, a flexible screen body mountedon the roller and extending at one end through the casing, series ofhingedly connected blocks secured along the opposite edges of the screenbody adapted to be rolled therewith upon the roller within the casing,and a pair of guide rails carried within thew-indow casing and adaptedto engage said pivotally connected blocks, to retain the same and thescreen body from bulging in either direction.

3. In a screen as specified, the combination of a roller, a flexiblescreen body rolled upon the roller, attaching means connected.

to the outer end of the flexible body for securing the same to the shaftof a window, opposed series of hingedly connected blocks carried at theopposite lateral edges of said flexible screen body, a pair of guiderails adapted to be secured against the inner opposite sides of a windowcasing, adapted to IGCQlXG said pivotally connected blocks therein, andmeans for adjusting the guide rails toward and from each other to sealthe spaces at the opposite edges of the flexible screen body and theadjacent sides of the window casing.

4. In a screen as specified, the combination of a flexible screen bodyadapted to be mounted at one end of a window casing,

sides of the flexible screen body &

means for normally retracting the screen body toward said end of thecasing, opposed series of pivotally connected frame blocks secured alongthe opposite edges of said flexible screen body, a pair of channeledguide rails-mounted in the inner opposite sides of the window casing andadapted to slidably receive therein said blocks, and adjustablesupporting, means for the guide rails to seal the space between the sameand adjacent sides of the casing and to accommodate the guide rails toscreen bodies varying in width.

5. A screen for application to windows having sliding sash therein,comprising a flexible body member, a roller adapted to support one endof the body, a spring connected to said roller to urge the same normallyin one direction, for rolling the flexible body thereabout, attachingmeans upon the outer end of the flexible body for engaging with saidsash, and adjustable guides carried upon the window casing adapted to beadvanced toward each other for engagement with the opposite edges of theflexible screen to retain the same in close fitting engagement with thecasing.

6. In a screen as specified, the combination of a flexible screen body,means for normally retaining the screen body in a rolled position, saidscreen body being adapted to be mounted at one end of the window casing,an attaching strip connected to the outer end of said screen body forengagement with the adjacent bar of a sash, series of pivotallyconnected blocks arranged at the opposite and provided withlongitudinally extending. rooves in one side thereof, a pair of gui erails adapted to be mounted in the inner opposite sides of a windowcasing and having spacedapart flanges adapted to receive said series ofblocks th'erebetween, one of said flanges being provided with a tongueupon its inner side adapted to seat in said groove of each series ofblocks to retain the latter from displacement inwardly by the bulging ofthe flexible screen body.

RALPH HENRY POWERS.

